The federal government has changed a plan for a multimillion-dollar portrait gallery to move in across from Parliament Hill, instead offering the honour up in a competition between several cities.
The Portrait Gallery of Canada was supposed to move into the former U.S. embassy, located across the road from Parliament, when the idea originated in 2001.
On Friday it was announced that it will be offered up in a bidding process between nine cities early next week.
Cities with a population of more than 350,000 will have the option of bidding for the gallery, Heritage Minister Josee Verner said Friday.
Those cities are Ottawa-Gatineau, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
"I think that this is a wonderful opportunity to give to the private sector to contribute in our arts and culture in Canada," she said.
Public Works Minister Michael Fortier said Friday the old embassy building will not house the gallery, even if Ottawa-Gatineau wins the honour.
"We didn't feel that it was an appropriate site in the Parliamentary district for a gallery, for this portrait gallery. And I think what Madame Verner announced today is very exciting. It could be anywhere. It could even be here in Ottawa-Gatineau as she indicated." Fortier said.
Meanwhile, the former U.S. embassy's future is uncertain, despite having roughly $11 million already spent to refurbish it.
The decision to put the gallery there came under fire for its expected high cost when Jean Chretien first announced the decision in January 2001.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper put the project on hold after he won a minority government in 2006.
Fortier said Friday he's not sure how much the new gallery will cost, but it will partially depend on real-estate costs in the chosen city.
Paul Dewar, NDP MP for Ottawa-Centre, spoke out against the decision on Friday, saying it made sense for the portrait gallery to be in the nation's capital.
"I think it's a slap in the face to Ottawa," he told CTV Ottawa.
"If you go to England, you go to France, you go to United States, they all have portrait galleries and they all have them in their national capitals."
The portraits have been kept in an Ottawa-area building operated by the national archives, out of public view. It could be up to five years before a new home is built.
"Canadians deserve to see the portraits that depict the great figures of our country's past and present," Verner said. "These are our stories, told on canvas, in sculpture, and in photographs. Our Government will work with identified cities and developers across the country to find a new home for these historic works of art."
In a press release, the Conservatives said they expect the proposal will generate bidders who will lean on the private sector to develop a new facility for the Portrait Gallery of Canada.
"We want to ensure that we obtain maximum impact from every tax dollar spent by taking advantage of private sector support and expertise," said Fortier.
With files from CTV Ottawa's Norman Fetterley
